


Just like starting over

by smkkbert



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: 3x01 parallel, 5x01 spec (kind of), F/M, Short little thing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-09
Updated: 2016-06-09
Packaged: 2018-07-14 01:10:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,431
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7145942
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/smkkbert/pseuds/smkkbert
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Anonymous said:Maybe something where Felicity starts dating soon after their break up and when Oliver learns that he becomes a mess/argue with Felicity on that ? I love your writing</p>
            </blockquote>





	Just like starting over

“I think we should take a closer look at this new financier, Richard Harrison. There is something off with him. It’s probably just a weird feeling, but I don’t trust him, so I’d like to make sure that it’s just my usual mistrust and nothing else,” Oliver explained, shaking his head. “I have a short meeting around five, so let’s say we will meet in the lair at seven?”

“Oh,” Felicity made at Oliver’s suggestion, massaging the back of her neck with her hand uncomfortably. “I… uhm…”

“I could get us dinner on our way there,” Oliver added when she hesitate to answer. “There is this new Italian restaurant with great reviews, so pasta maybe?”

Felicity bit down on her bottom lip, still hesitating. She had hoped to be able to avoid having this conversation with him. Unfortunately, it looked like there was no way around this, so she took in a deep breath and stated, “Actually I have a date tonight.”

“Oh.”

Felicity’s heart clenched uncomfortably at the expression in Oliver’s face. The hopeful smile there had been on his lips faded away and was replaced by disappointment. He lowered his gaze to his feet, pushing his hands into the pockets of his pants.

“I’m sorry,” Felicity whispered.

Hastily Oliver lifted his gaze again. “You don’t have to apologize. We’re not together anymore, so…”

Felicity watched him closely. “So it’s okay for you?”

“Sure,” Oliver replied with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “You deserve a good life and a good guy. Being happy is all I ever wanted for you.”

A cold shiver ran down the length of Felicity’s spine at his words. Hadn’t he said the same words during John’s and Lyla’s wedding when she had brought Ray as her plus-one?

“So… we see each other tomorrow?” Felicity asked hesitatingly.

Oliver nodded. “Yes, sure. Maybe when you have time we can take a look to this Harrison guy then?”

“Sure,” Felicity replied with a smile. “Bye, Oliver.”

“Bye, Felicity,” Oliver replied, sitting back down behind his desk. “And have a nice evening.”

“Thank you,” Felicity replied with a quiet smile.

She was almost a little surprised that she didn’t sense any passive aggression in his voice like there had been when he had told her to do what she wanted after she had told him that Ray had asked her out for dinner. And that had actually only been a work dinner, not a date.

Well, a lot of things had changed these past two years.

 

Oliver sat in the quiet of the lair, tapping his fingers on the top of the desk one by one. He had been sitting here for quite some time now. It was what he did. He spent the days in his mayoral office and his nights in here. Since the lair had been built back up again a few months ago, he was even living here again.

It bothered him that Felicity was spending the night away. Of course he had no right to be mad because they were broken up, but he had thought they’d be on a way to get to a better place again. He had been so hopeful about it. Since they were the only ones left on the team, it was only them on each and every evening. They usually did their vigilante work, had dinner together, talked some more and then said goodnight. It was like a routine that had settled.

Now without that routine his life felt weirdly empty again.

When the door of the elevator opened behind them, Oliver turned in the chair, perking his eyebrows. He wasn’t expecting any visitors and since it was only nine p.m., he didn’t think it was Felicity, either.

It was her stepping out of the elevator after all, though, and she looked even more stunning than usually. She wore a tight green dress. Her hair was tied up to an elegant hairstyle. Oliver actually felt a stitch of jealousy that the look had been directed at him.

“Hey,” he said in surprise. “What are you doing here?”

“We work here, remember?” she replied.

“Yes, but what about your date?”

Felicity shrugged her shoulders. “It was a bad idea going there in the first place.”

“Sorry to hear that.”

Oliver watched Felicity cocking her head. “Really? Are you? Sorry I mean?”

“Yeah, of course I am. Why wouldn’t I?”

“Because you’re smiling?”

“I’m not,” he replied, doing his best not to smile, but he knew he was smiling after all. “Maybe I am not so sorry. At least I am sorry for that.”

Chuckling, Felicity came closer. She sat down on the edge of the desk and looked at him for a long time before she said, “I thought you’d ask me out on a date.”

Oliver’s eyes widened. “What?”

“Well, we’ve been working together for here for five months now. It’s only been us, and we settled a routine almost like if we were back together, and I thought you’d ask me out. When you didn’t, I… decided to go on that date tonight. Stupid decision by the way.”

Oliver opened his mouth to say something, but he realized he didn’t know what to say. He sat up a little, sliding back and forth on the chair uncomfortably.

“Felicity, you said you couldn’t do this and that you needed time.”

“Yes, but that was months ago.”

“It was, but that doesn’t mean that there wouldn’t be the possibility that maybe you would still needed time. I didn’t want to push and risk making you run away.”

“But I signaled you that I was ready, Oliver. Or at least I thought I did.”

Sighing, Oliver leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees and looking at Felicity. He had wanted to ask her out for a date, but he had actually feared being rejected. The pain the break-up had left was still deep in his heart. He still dreamed about the moment she had literally walked out on him. So he had decided to not ask her out.

“Felicity, I-“

“Oliver,” Felicity interrupted him firmly, making him look up at him. “Would you like to go out to dinner with me?”

“What?”

“You just said that you thought I needed time, so since I obviously didn’t signal well enough that I don’t need more time, and I’d maybe like to try again,” she said, ending the sentence by gesturing with her hands. “Would you like to go out to dinner with me?”

“Dinner-dinner? Like in a dinner date?”

“Dinner-dinner. Like in a dinner date,” Felicity replied, nodding her head with a smile. “So what are you saying?”

“I’d love that.”

“Great. I’ll pick you up tomorrow at eight.”

“Perfect.”

Felicity smiled at him for a moment longer before she gestured towards the elevator behind her. “I will go to bed now. I’ll come here tomorrow morning and get you whatever you need to know about that Harrison guy.”

“Thanks,” Oliver said, smiling like a Cheshire cat. “And thanks for giving me another chance.”

“Sure,” Felicity replied. “Night, Oliver.”

“Night, Felicity.”

 

Their second first date ended like the first one had done already – in ashes. And just like after their first first date, they found themselves in the hallway of a hospital only a few days later again.

“So…” Oliver started insecurely. “Our first date exploded once more.”

Felicity chuckled. “Well, our lives have never been boring.”

“No, they haven’t,” Oliver agreed. He pushed his hands in the pockets of his pants, asking, “Are we going to repeat it?”

“No way!” Felicity replied, shaking her head hastily.

“Oh,” Oliver made, nodding. “I understand. I-“

“Our two first dates exploded, and if they didn’t kill us, the third one certainly will. I am never going out on a date with you,” she interrupted him.

Again Oliver only nodded, lowering his head. He shouldn’t have gotten his hopes up that much. He should have known that maybe something would happen that would prevent her from really starting over with him again.

“You can cook for me, though,” Felicity said. “A chicken cordon-bleu would be nice for example.”

Oliver lifted his head, smiling when he saw the quiet smile on her lips.

“I would like that,” he said.

For a short moment they only looked at each other, but only the beat of a heart later their lips met in a gentle kiss. Two years ago the kiss had been a brutal end before the start. And again this kiss didn’t feel like a start. It felt like coming home.


End file.
